1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor process apparatus, and more particularly, to a semiconductor process apparatus, a transportation system thereof, and a method of protecting a pressure control valve of the transportation system.
2. Description of Related Art
Vacuum systems have been extensively applied to semiconductor process apparatuses. The vacuum systems are required to operate the expensive apparatuses under an adequate pressure. Here, the apparatuses include the mainstream process apparatuses such as thin film deposition apparatuses, dry etching apparatuses, ion implantation apparatuses, lithography apparatuses, and the semiconductor surface analyzers such as scanning electron microscopes and secondary ion mass spectroscopes.
As is stated above, the pressure is one of the important manufacturing parameters set in many semiconductor process apparatuses. To ensure a smooth operation and reaction in a chamber of the semiconductor process apparatus, the pressure therein is often adjusted to a proper level by a pump and a pressure control valve in the semiconductor process apparatus.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional process apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional process apparatus 100 includes a chamber 110, a pump 120, and a transportation system 130. The transportation system 130 is disposed between the chamber 110 and the pump 120, and a fluid supply apparatus 140 is connected to the chamber 110. The transportation system 130 includes a pipe 132 and a pressure control valve 134. The pipe 132 has an input end 132a connected to the chamber 110 and an output end 132b connected to the pump 120. The pressure control valve 134 is disposed on the pipe 132.
In addition, the pump 120 is adapted to pump fluids (gas, liquid . . . etc) out of the chamber 110 through the pipe 132, and to adjust the pressure in the chamber 110 to a proper level with use of the pressure control valve 134. Besides, the pressure control valve 134 is, for example, a butterfly valve comprising a valve plate 134a used to adjust a fluid flow in the pipe 132. Specifically, the pressure control valve 134 can rotate the valve plate 134a along a pivot shaft (not shown) to a proper angle, and an open degree of the valve plate 134a varies in accordance with the rotation of the valve plate 134a. Thus, the fluid flow increases when the open degree of the valve plate 134a is raised and decreases when said open degree is lowered.
To meet the requirements of certain manufacturing processes, the process apparatus 100 further comprises a liquid supply apparatus 140 connected to the chamber 110 for supplying reactive liquids e.g. TESO, 4MS, TMCTS, TMDSO, DMDMOS, OMCTS, DEMS, or TVTMCTS to the chamber 110, so that the reactive liquids can react therein. Since the reactive liquids are aerosols, certain liquid particles 50 which have not been dissociated yet float into the pipe 132 during the reaction process. The liquid particles 50 which have not been dissociated yet then adhere to a surface of the valve plate 134a and solidify.
Excessive liquid particles 50 adhering to the valve plate 134a either give rise to unsmooth rotation of the valve plate 134a or prevent the valve plate 134a from being completely closed, so that conveyance of the fluids in the pipe 132 cannot be hindered. Thereby, the pressure within the chamber 110 cannot be adjusted with ease, further influencing the reaction in the chamber 110. In addition, given that the valve plate 134a cannot rotate smoothly or be completely closed, the maintenance cycle of the process apparatus 100 may be shortened, raising the maintenance costs.